Descent into the Specter's Lair
by Swagnarok
Summary: Having come up with the "compromise" that Elena wanted, Shinichi sets his plan into motion. But then, Yoko forces him to clear her in a murder that he blatantly witnessed her committing. Sequel to "Midnight Pursuit of a Black Specter", Episodes 937-938.
1. Episode 937

"...And that, Elena-san, is my plan."

Conan sat on Dr. Agasa's couch with his legs crossed (in a manly 1950s sort of way, not in an effeminate style). "So, what do you think?"

"...I think that what you just described could work," Elena said. "It would seem that my faith in you was not misplaced after all, Shinichi."

"No," Conan said. "Just no."

Excuse me?"

"You do not get to address me on a first-name basis," Conan said. "The events of earlier, and to a lesser extent yesterday as well, have proven to me that you're just barely an ally, and you certainly aren't my friend."

"You're still mad about...?"

"I don't know if you're just a horrible person by nature, or if you think that somehow your 'mission' justifies everything that you've done," Conan said. "And frankly, I don't give a crap. You've got your bad side, now let me show you mine. I've got a deal for you, Elena-san."

Elena was silent.

"If nothing else, we work fairly well together, and we both want to bring down the Black Organisation," Conan said. "But make no mistake: that is not the number one most important thing to me. If Ran so much as scrapes her knee on the sidewalk, I will provide Yoko Okino and her associates with every last bit of information I have on you and your little operation."

"Do you realise the magnitude of what you're threatening?!" Elena snapped. "If you shut us down, it'll mean..."

"I don't care what you think it'd mean!" Conan snapped back. "Few things in this world are certain; one thing that is certain is what has already happened. I remember very well how, just a few minutes ago, you threatened Ran. In doing so, you made yourself the subject of my wrath. So I'll repeat myself, just so that there's no mistake: if you harm so much as a single hair on Ran's head, I will tell the Black Organisation everything that I know about you and your husband's operation, which does, of course, include the coordinates of your headquarters. In this event I'll also tell them about Haibara, and about your son Satoshi. You'll see your entire operation destroyed quite literally overnight, and your two remaining children will die, presumably along with you and your husband."

"...Dang, I always knew that you cared about this girl, even that you loved her, but I really had no idea, did I?" Elena said.

"I guess you didn't," Conan said.

There was a pause.

"Now, believe me when I say that I hope it never comes to this," Conan said. "If you leave me and those I love alone, I'll continue to serve as your loyal agent."

"...I understand, Kudo-kun," Elena said. "I have leverage over you, now you're flaunting your leverage over me. Very well, in exchange for your continued service to me and my cause I'll spare Ran, and as a measure of my goodwill I'll even send an agent to look after her. This person will operate incognito, of course. You probably won't be able to spot him."

Conan sighed in relief. "Thank you, Elena-san. I appreciate it, and your decision to send Ran a protector. I trust this protector won't be the one to pull the trigger on her if I just so happen to betray you one day?"

Elena chuckled. "No, I can assure you that this bodyguard would never do anything to harm Ran, not even if I ordered him to. Well, I'd better leave you to your preparations. You've done well so far, but that doesn't mean I'll tolerate any future failure from you, Kudo-kun."

"I won't fail," Conan said. "Goodbye."

He hung up. The Professor had been listening in on the entire conversation.

"W-were you serious?!" he asked. "What you said then, surely you weren't...!"

"Not about betraying Haibara," Conan said. "Or her brother. But I was about everything else."

"...Well, we better get started," Dr. Agasa said. "I'll go next door and bring back Ai-kun. I trust that, after she reverts to her younger self, your mother's services won't be needed?"

Conan grinned. "Not this time. I'll go home and get Ran, and then..." He sighed. "Then I'll go find that person."

 **Scene Transition**

 _Yoko laid flowers on the grave and knelt down. She bent over close to the tombstone and began to weep bitterly._

 _"Wherever you are now, I implore you," Yoko said. "Forgive me...for my role in your death."_

 _Less than a week ago, Haruka was pronounced dead. The cause of death was starvation._

 _In a highly developed country, Haruka starved to death, despite living in a home with more than enough to eat. After her humiliation in front of "Sumo Dojo", the heavy girl resolved to become skinny, so that at long last she wouldn't be rejected by her peers, so that she could be thought of as beautiful. Her parents would, of course, make her eat dinner with them, and right afterwards she would vomit up what she had eaten. Finally, four weeks later, her body gave out._

 _Haruka had left behind this last diary entry:_

 _"Rina-ojousama, I did it. I lost 35 pounds. I'm going to surprise you in a few days, and then you will let me into your group for sure. I feel really hungry and tired. I should eat but I'm not going to because then I'll just get fat again. At last I'll have real friends. I'm so excited I can't wait."_

 _Iroha approached the grave and saw Yoko._

 _"So, uh, you're here too, huh?" Iroha said._

 _"I-I feel like this is my fault," Yoko said. "She thought I was her friend, and then I was so awful to her. That's why she did it, I think."_

 _"You can't blame yourself," Iroha said. "I mean, we all killed her, right? The guilt should be spread evenly among all of us."_

 _"Why did I do it?" Yoko questioned. "Was my desire to fit in really so strong that I became a bully? Is that what I am now?"_

 _Iroha was silent for a long time. The two of them just stood there, and then..._

 _"Rina-ojousama is having a party at her boyfriend's house tomorrow night," Iroha said. "Are you coming?"_

 _"...Yeah," Yoko said._

 _And now I fit in, Yoko thought bitterly. Yay me._

 **Opening**

(Escape by Ling Tosite Sigure)

One day I'll decipher the truth behind this elaborate deception

One day I'll find the shining door that leads to the outside

The hidden eyes of this world which have been watching me for so long

Have no idea that now I stare back, more determined than ever to escape!

(Trying new things is refreshing to the soul! Those brave souls who have consigned themselves to the goddess Fate now charge headfirst into the den of vipers, where depravity is a common virtue! Perceiving the one and only truth! With the body of a child but the mind of an adult...my name is Detective Conan!)

For years now I've tried everything to stifle my long-standing suspicions

My gut feeling that something was fundamentally wrong with the world

I convinced myself I that I was imagining it, laughing nervously as I talked

I played it straight, lived my life, and drank deeply of all this world had to offer

But I can't take it anymore, I don't know who and what is real anymore

I need to clear my head, to splash cold water on my face, but is the water real?

One day I'll make sense of the inconsistencies that pop up around me

One day I'll piece together this incoherent puzzle which is the truth

One day I'll decipher the truth behind this elaborate deception

One day I'll find the shining door that leads to the outside

The hidden eyes of this world which have been watching me for so long

Have no idea that now I stare back, more determined than ever to escape!

 **Descent into the Specter's Lair! Part One!**

He stood leaning against the tank; he used his phone to check the time.

It's 12:15 PM and nobody's come yet, Ryusuke/Rum thought. Maybe they...?

And then he stepped into the tunnel. He was a teenager, dressed in all black.

"Hello Rum," he said. "There's no need for me to introduce myself. The two of us have met before. Well, I didn't know that you were involved in this agency, but still. And yes, I am this Cognac that Yoko-san's doubtlessly told you about, the guy who saved your behind last night. You're welcome, by the way."

Ryusuke didn't know what to say.

"Anyways, I'm here to escort you back to Tokyo," Shinichi Kudo said.

"B-but what about the tank?" Ryusuke asked.

"Ah yes, the tank," Shinichi said. "In a few days Yoko-san's gonna send a tanker truck to refuel it, and some low-level operative will drive it to an airstrip located about 90 miles from here. If they did that now the FBI would probably..."

"Wait, YOU know about Yoko-san?!" Ryusuke exclaimed.

Shinichi shrugged. "Yeah. It isn't exactly a well-kept secret. So we going or not?"

Ryusuke hesitated.

 **Scene Transition**

"Yes?" Yoko said.

"We've done it," Shinichi said. "We're at the airport now."

"H-hey now, you really think it's safe for him to go home on a commercial airliner?" Yoko said.

Shinichi chuckled. "Relax, will you? They knew Chris Vineyard was Vermouth, and yet they didn't arrest her afterwards. Most likely they're just gonna spy on him. And unfortunately there doesn't seem to be much I can do about that."

"How did you know that about Vermouth?" Yoko asked.

"Like I said before, I've spent the past year spying on you guys," Shinichi said. "So anyways, you want us to fly back to Tokyo, and what then?"

"We'll give you two further instructions when you land," Yoko said. "Over and out."

Shinichi turned to Ryusuke. "You got the proper documentation?"

Ryusuke nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

 **Scene Transition**

Conan, "Nancy", and Mitsuhiko walked home from school.

"What makes you so sure she's gonna be waiting?" Nancy asked.

"It's the most logical way for her to extract it from me," Conan said.

"Uh, who are you talking about?" Mitsuhiko asked. "Does this involve that thing you wanted me to do? Is that why you wanted me to come with you?"

"You shouldn't ask so many questions," Conan said.

"But, Conan!" Mitsuhiko protested. "Aren't you the one who told me I should keep an open mind and always ask questions?"

"Well, yeah," Conan admitted. "But it doesn't apply to this thing here."

"Mitsuhiko, Edogawa-kun and I are involved in something very dangerous," Nancy said. "For your own safety, don't ask questions. Not about this."

"Haibara-san, does this mean I can't tell Genta or Ayumi-chan?" Mitsuhiko asked.

"The less they know, the better," Conan said. "I wouldn't have told you, but I needed your help."

"So why couldn't Haibara-san have done it?" Mitsuhiko asked.

"Because I'm a girl," Nancy/Haibara said. "That kind of thing will show up in a DNA analysis, and the people we're trying to hide from will become even more suspicious."

"The Professor wouldn't have been ideal either," Conan said. "A DNA analysis might be able to differentiate between an old man and a kid. Plus, who knows what kind of sexuall..."

Nancy/Haibara coughed loudly.

"Er, bad diseases the Professor might have?" Conan said. "To be safe, I'm just not going to do it. Ultimately, my safest route is with a person whose physical profile most closely matches my own."

"How about Genta?"

Conan sighed. "I suppose I could, but there's no way that I'm picking Genta. End of discussion."

"Mitsuhiko, this is extremely important to Edogawa-kun and I," Nancy/Haibara said. "You should feel honoured that we decided to come to you with this problem."

They neared the Mouri residency.

"Okay, this is it," Conan said.

He opened his backpack and took out a cup, several cotton swabs, a pair of latex gloves, and a water bottle.

"First things first," Conan said.

He took the cotton swabs and dabbled them all in his mouth. Then he handed them to Mitsuhiko, who was wearing the gloves. Then he spit in the grass, about ten times.

His mouth suddenly felt so parched that he could barely speak.

"Okay, he's ready," Nancy/Haibara said. "Do exactly as I instructed."

Mitsuhiko got down on his knees, put his mouth right up to the cup...and began to drool into it. He then took a big sip of water and drooled some more. Finally, the cup was a little over halfway full.

"Bottoms up," Nancy/Haibara said.

She handed the cup of Mitsuhiko's drool to Conan, and he drank it. He didn't swallow; rather, he simply sloshed it around in his mouth and tried to hold it in place.

"Was I helpful?" Mitsuhiko asked.

"You've certainly done your part, Mitsuhiko," Nancy/Haibara said. "As for whether or not this measure was enough, we'll just have to wait and see. You can go now, and again, do not tell ANYONE about this."

Mitsuhiko nodded and turned to leave, holding the cotton swabs in his hand.

"Oh, and Mitsuhiko, thank you," Haibara said.

She kissed Mitsuhiko on the cheek, and his face was very red as he walked home. Mitsuhiko thought that he might've died of sheer happiness before he made it.

Nancy/Haibara put the cup and water bottle in her backpack, and the two of them went up to confront their adversary.

 **Scene Transition**

"Ah, you two brats!" Kogoro said excitedly. "Come in, come in!"

They stepped inside, only to see Yoko Okino chatting with Eri.

"Conan-kun! Nancy-chan!" the pop singer greeted. "I've got something for you!"

She opened her purse and took out two lollipops. Conan and Nancy accepted the snack excitedly.

"Huh? What is this?" Conan asked.

"Whoops, you don't like chocolate flavoured lollipops, do you?" Yoko asked.

Conan shook his head.

And so, Yoko snatched the lollipop right out of his mouth and put it in the bag. Then she handed him a pineapple-flavoured one.

And the deed is done, Conan thought.

"Yoko-chan stopped by to offer me a role in a WWII historical drama that she stars in," Kogoro bragged.

"And he accepted," Eri said, "on the condition that I be present with him at all times during the filming."

"W-well, it's a small role," Yoko said, sensing that Mouri-san's wife was irritated. "Well, I'd better be going."

"Ah, Yoko-san, where are you going?" Conan asked.

"To...visit an old friend," Yoko said.

And with that cryptic answer, she walked out the door. As soon as she did, Conan raced to the bathroom to clean his mouth out.

 **Scene Transition**

The videoconferencing monitors had been turned on. Shackled and with Yoshiteru pointing a gun to his head, Ryusuke looked at Elena, who was many miles away at that time.

Hello, Rum," Elena said. "Do you know who I am?"

"...I've heard about you," Ryusuke said. "I've seen recordings of you in your laboratory, your husband and cute little daughters with you."

"One of those daughters is older than you now," Elena said. "Well, at least, she would be."

"I never knew that you were still alive though," Ryusuke said. "Nobody in the Organisation did, though I hear that initially there were some suspicions."

"Yoshiteru-kun, you can put the gun away," Elena said. "I mean, it's not as though he could harm me by attacking the screen."

"I know," Yoshiteru said gleefully. "I just wanted to make sure that he didn't dare tell any lies."

"If Kudo-kun spoke accurately during his call to me, you turned yourself in willingly before even knowing for sure that he was a mole?" Elena asked.

"Oh, I knew," Ryusuke said. "I could hear the helicopter whirring in the background, and plus, he claimed that the Boss's identity was 'common knowledge' within our Organisation. An obvious lie, of course."

"And you didn't try to, I don't know, run away?" Elena asked. "I mean, you had a tank, for heaven's sake!"

"Nah," Ryusuke said. "You see, last night's ordeal got the creative juices in my brain flowing. And I came to realise that I'm nowhere near qualified to fill my old man's shoes."

He sighed. "And frankly, I don't really want to either. Like, I thought it might be kind of cool at first, but then they were like 'Hey Rum, go kill that guy over there!' and 'Rum, we need some key witness person assassinated, and quick!' I mean, it didn't really take me very long to realise that killing people just isn't for me."

"So listen, I surrendered of my own accord in order to strike a deal with you FBI folks," he continued.

"I hardly think you're in a position to negotiate," Elena said.

"Oh, but I am," Ryusuke said. "Elena-san, you're from the United Kingdom, if I'm not mistaken? In that case, do you know what _RTI_ stands for? Hint: it's an army term."

" _Resistance to Interrogation_ ," Elena said. "It's special training given to soldiers from NATO member states, especially the UK, designed to teach them how to withstand torture. You've undergone such training?"

"Well, let's just suffice to say that you can't make me tell you anything that I don't want to tell you," Ryusuke said. "So, if you want me to come clean with everything I know about the inner workings of the Black Organisation, you've got to give me something in exchange."

"And what is it you want?" Elena asked.

"I want out," Ryusuke said. "I'm sick of playing spy, and of killing people. You'll grant me full immunity from prosecution for any crimes, including murder, that I may have committed as Rum. Furthermore, you will enroll me in the Witness Protection Program, so that I can start a new life somewhere far away."

"That'd be kind of difficult for you, wouldn't it?" Elena said. "I mean, you're one of Japan's most famous soccer players."

"Eh, I can always just grow a beard," Ryusuke said. "Or I could get plastic surgery. I'm totally cool with giving up soccer for this. Oh, and one more thing."

"Let me guess, your brother, Rikuo Endo?" Elena said.

Ryusuke nodded. "I don't know what you've gotta do with him, and frankly I don't care so long as you don't kill him. Just make sure those men can't touch him."

"...Any other conditions I need to know about?" Elena asked. "Like, I don't know, money?"

"Only if this plan involves faking my death, in which case I wouldn't be able to make any bank withdrawals," Ryusuke said. "Otherwise I've got plenty of green to get me started someplace else. So if I can't get my money out of the bank, then, say, 100,000 U.S. dollars?"

"Deal," Elena said. "Prepare yourself, Higo-san. Whenever that helicopter lands in Tokyo I'll be expecting you to tell us everything that you know. And don't leave out even the tiniest morsel."

 **Scene Transition**

They sat in the same row on the plane, right next to the window.

"...So, it must've been quite the shock," Shinichi/Ran said. "Realising that kid was Shinichi."

"Not really," Ryusuke/Kaito said. "The way he behaved, I knew he wasn't an ordinary child. And with the similar appearance the two had, I figured he must've stumbled upon some magic spell or something. I was even considering asking Akako to..."

"Magic spell?" Shinichi/Ran said.

"Uh, it's nothing," Ryusuke/Kaito said. "Anyway, your boyfriend owes me for this."

An old lady from across the aisle looked at "Shinichi" and gasped.

"I know, I know," Shinichi/Ran said, by this point having become used to people calling Shinichi her boyfriend. "He won't interfere with any more of your heists for the next three months."

"Glad to hear that. So what now?"

"Shinichi texted me a few minutes ago," Ran said. "He told me that, due to..."

"Wait, you received a text message up here in the sky?!" Kaito exclaimed.

Ran shrugged. "Sure. You've never heard of the Gogo Text & Chat service? It allows in-flight communications on your phone."

"Oh, I never heard of that," Kaito said. "So you were saying?"

"Shinichi texted me a few minutes ago and said that, due to a quote-unquote new development, he'll be taking my place as soon as I land, and that my part of the mission will be done then."

"But what about me?" Kaito asked.

"Hold on, I'm texting him now," Ran said.

Twenty seconds later, the real Shinichi responded with the following text:

"Dunno, a few days, I guess"

Ran showed the message to Kaito. "Huuh?! I didn't sign up for this! Tell that little brat to make it six months, or else I'm out!"

"Uh, sir? Is there a problem here?" a flight attendant asked.

"N-no," Kaito said, taken a little off guard. "Everythi..."

"Oh my word, are you Ryusuke Higo?" the flight attendant said.

Kaito smiled. "Why yes, yes I am. You want my autograph, I take it?"

Ran elbowed him.

"You don't know how to write like him, remember?" she whispered.

"I've got this," he whispered back.

"Oh, and who's your friend?" the flight attendant asked.

"Oh, he's my boyfriend!" Kaito said cheerfully. "We're a gay couple!"

Ran was blushing profusely. "N-no we're not! I'm a girl! Here, I'll prove it!"

She began to undo her shirt button and then...

"Hey now! The the h**l do you think you're doing?!" Kaito protested.

"I'm trying to show them that I'm not...!"

They began wrestling in their seats, and a large crowd gathered to watch.

"In public!" the old lady said indignantly. "This is a sign! Our society's on the verge of collapse!"

 **Scene Transition**

They finally left the airport...and Conan was waiting. He had a miffed look on his face, and he was holding his phone.

"I hear that you two made...quite the commotion in flight," Conan said.

"How'd you hear about that?" Ran asked.

"Because it's all over the internet," Conan said. He showed her his phone, and it was open to the page of a news website.

There was an awkward silence.

"So, uh, what's the next order of business?" Kaito asked.

"First, we're going back to the Professor's house," Conan said. "Me and Ran will switch, and she'll be free to return home as Nancy. Haibara will be filling in as me. Oh, and Ran, Haibara knows about our plan, by I haven't informed her of Rum's identity. I expect that you won't tell her either?"

Ran nodded.

"Good. The Professor's waiting in his car. Let's go."

As they walked, Conan sent Kaito a text:

"I hope you aren't trying to steal my girlfriend."

Kaito read it, and then he replied:

"Don't worry. There's someone else I like. You two'll make a nice couple one day."

 **Scene Transition**

"We're back in Tokyo," Shinichi said.

"Well done, Cognac," Yoko said. "Wait for further instructions, they should be coming soon."

She hung up and got out of the vehicle. She headed inside the tall condominium complex and approached the front desk.

"May I help you?" The receptionist asked.

"Uh, if I'm not mistaken, there's a woman named Rina Kurashima living here?"

"I'm sorry, you must be mistaken," the receptionist said, looking at his records. "We don't have any residents here by that..."

"Ah! Yoko-chan!"

Rina arrived in the lobby.

"Rina-ojousama!" Yoko greeted. "It's so nice to see you!"

"I-I'm confused," the receptionist said.

"It's alright, Numajiro-san," Rina said. "Kurashima's my maiden name, and Yoko-chan hasn't seen me in years so she wouldn't know that I was married."

"Come, let's go to my place and catch up," Rina said to Yoko.

 **Scene Transition**

"YAAAAAHHH!"

A minute later Shinichi emerged from the bathroom, his normal teenage height. He was panting heavily.

After all this time, it still hurts, he thought.

Likewise, Ran emerged from another bathroom, having shrunken again.

"Well, Nancy, I guess it's time for you to go home," Shinichi said.

"Come back safely," Nancy/Ran said.

"I will," Shinichi said.

And so, Nancy headed home.

"So, like, I'm just gonna wait here until that woman calls me back?" Kaito asked, having momentarily taken off his disguise.

"Apparently so," Shinichi said.

And then, he got a text from Yoko:

"Highton View Terrace Room 29. Come alone, and hurry."

"You got a text from that person?" Kaito asked.

"Yeah, but she wants me to come alone," Shinichi said.

"So what am I supposed to here while you're gone?" Kaito protested.

"I don't know! Play video games or watch TV or something!"

Shinichi ran out the door with the turbo engine skateboard.

 **Scene Transition**

"So, you live here with your husband?" Yoko asked.

"No, we separated two months ago," Rina said. "It's only a matter of time before I divorce him and take all his money!" She laughed.

"So what about you?" Rina asked. "I hear you've become quite the pop singer sensation here in Japan."

"Well, I'm blessed to have so many loyal fans who like my music," Yoko said.

"Come now! Don't be so modest! Let's face it: you've passed me up in life. All that's left now is for you to be hitched to some filthy rich old guy, and you'll be set."

"I guess. Rina-ojousama..."

"You don't have to call me that. We aren't children anymore."

"Okay then, Rina...do you know what today is?"

"Wait, are you...asking what day of the week it is?" Rina asked.

"No. Today's an anniversary of some kind. Do you know what it is?"

"Uh, I don't know," Rina said. "I don't think today's your birthday, is it?"

Yoko shook her head. "Not mine. Haruka-chan's. She would've been 26 years old today."

"Wait, surely you aren't talking about that fat girl who killed herself all those years ago!" Rina said.

"Indeed I am. And she didn't kill herself. You did. Well, so did I and all the other members of your group, but mainly it was you."

Rina stood up. "How dare you come into my house and call me a murderer?!"

"Because it's true," Yoko said. "And ultimately, the worst part isn't even that you did it. No, the worst part is that you've displayed no remorse whatsoever. I've never seen you so much as visit her grave, and you certainly didn't attend her funeral."

"This visit's over," Rina snapped. "Get out of my house this instant."

"No, Rina-ojousama, you can't hide from this any longer."

"Didn't I just tell you not to call me that?!"

"Yes, you did, and I don't care," Yoko said. She sighed. "You were practically a goddess to me, and to the rest of the girls in your group. You were the standard, the final authority on what was cool, and what wasn't cool. Who was cool, and who wasn't cool."

"If you've got something to say, just come out and say it!" Rina said angrily.

"It's the innate desire of man to connect with a higher power, a greater being," Yoko said. "And I wanted to please my goddess. Oh yes I did. Because being cut off from you was like Excommunication from the Catholic Church, that terrifying prospect for good European Christians in the days of old. But then I sinned, I broke the goddess's rule. And so that's what happened to me. I was excommunicated, shunned even by Iroha-chan. After a time I became afraid that I'd have to spend the rest of my life in such a state. So I repented of my sins...and betrayed a girl to who I was her only friend. Thus, she killed herself, albeit not intentionally."

"What is it you want me to say?!" Rina exploded. "That I'm sorry?! Because I'm not! She was a whale, you hear me?! A fricking whale! A tub of lard!"

"I've spent my entire life reflecting on what happened then," Yoko said. "And you know what I've concluded? That what happened then may have been an extreme example, but the underlying principle is the same: in this world there are a few powerful individuals who set the rules for everybody else. They can be celebrities, politicians, religious leaders, or just the 'cool' people you know, but regardless of the manner and severity in which they exert their influence over those people around them, they create a 'social circle', a solar system that revolves around them. Within this circle, they decide what is and what isn't an acceptable way to talk, to dress, to act. Any person who breaks a 'cardinal rule' set by such a god is isolated from that god, and by extension all of that god's followers. So we conform, each and every one of us. Or we try to become gods ourselves, so that we can set the rules, and likewise abuse and exploit others, be our motive financial gain or a lust for power, or something else entirely, or perhaps a combination of several motives."

"In short," she continued, "a small fraction of the human population holds everyone else in bondage. Instead of being our own person, we simply shape our lives around the rules, trends, and norms set by the minority. Finally, I've concluded that to free humanity...each and every one of those people must be exterminated. And I've decided to start with you. DIE, RINA! DEATH TO ALL FALSE GODS!"

 **Scene Transition**

"Please, I have to get to Room 29!" Shinichi said.

"Sorry, you can't just go up to someone else's condo anytime you please," the receptionist said, a slight tone of hostility in his voice.

Shinichi sighed. "I don't have time for this."

He aimed his stun-gun wristwatch at the receptionist and fired. Then he hurried on up to Room 29.

He barged into the room, just to see...

"What the h**l are you doing?!" Shinichi demanded.

Knowing that Rina was finally dead, Yoko let go of the rope.

"Ah, Kudo," she said with a smile. "You are right on time."

 **Ending**

(Monster Without a Name by Egoist, 1st ending to Psycho-Pass)

 _Feariiteiru wa_

 _Sakki shinda mitai_

 _Renga no byoutou de umaku utaenakute_

 _Kiri ni kemuru yoru ukabe akai tsuki_

 _Kuroi tetsu goushi no naka de_

 _Watashi wa umaretekitanda_

 _Akui no daishou wo negae_

 _Nozomu ga mama ni omae ni_

 _Saa ataeyou seigi wo_

 _Kowashite kowasareru mae ni_

 _Inga no daishou wo harai_

 _Tomo ni yukou namae no nai kaibutsu_

 **To be continued**


	2. Episode 938

"Please, I have to get to Room 29!" Shinichi said.

"Sorry, you can't just go up to someone else's condo anytime you please," the receptionist said, a slight tone of hostility in his voice.

Shinichi sighed. "I don't have time for this."

He aimed his stun-gun wristwatch at the receptionist and fired. Then he hurried on up to Room 29.

He barged into the room, just to see...

"What the h**l are you doing?!" Shinichi demanded.

Knowing that Rina was finally dead, Yoko let go of the rope.

"Ah, Kudo," she said with a smile. "You are right on time."

"Is this why you called me here?!" Shinichi said.

"That's correct. I need you to do me a big favour, and I suspect that you know what it is."

"...You want me to convince the police that you're innocent, I take it?" Shinichi realised.

"What a clever boy. And I take it you're fully aware of what'll happen if you fail, right? Remember what was in that envelope."

"I won't fail," Shinichi said. "Okay, so, what nex..."

Yoko screamed as loudly as she could.

A few seconds later, a wall painter barged into the room. "Did I hear a...aaahh!"

He literally leapt into the air upon seeing the dead body.

"Call the police and an ambulance," Shinichi ordered.

The man nodded and left hurriedly.

"We won't have a lot of time before the police get here," Shinichi said. "So before that happens, let's come up with a plausible story."

And now, I'm truly one of them, Shinichi thought. One of the men in black.

 **Opening**

(Escape by Ling Tosite Sigure)

One day I'll decipher the truth behind this elaborate deception

One day I'll find the shining door that leads to the outside

The hidden eyes of this world which have been watching me for so long

Have no idea that now I stare back, more determined than ever to escape!

(Trying new things is refreshing to the soul! Those brave souls who have consigned themselves to the goddess Fate now charge headfirst into the den of vipers, where depravity is a common virtue! Perceiving the one and only truth! With the body of a child but the mind of an adult...my name is Detective Conan!)

For years now I've tried everything to stifle my long-standing suspicions

My gut feeling that something was fundamentally wrong with the world

I convinced myself I that I was imagining it, laughing nervously as I talked

I played it straight, lived my life, and drank deeply of all this world had to offer

But I can't take it anymore, I don't know who and what is real anymore

I need to clear my head, to splash cold water on my face, but is the water real?

One day I'll make sense of the inconsistencies that pop up around me

One day I'll piece together this incoherent puzzle which is the truth

One day I'll decipher the truth behind this elaborate deception

One day I'll find the shining door that leads to the outside

The hidden eyes of this world which have been watching me for so long

Have no idea that now I stare back, more determined than ever to escape!

 **Descent into the Specter's Lair! Part Two!**

Nancy and "Conan" (Haibara in disguise) sat at the desk.

"I can't believe I'm doing Kudo-kun's homework for him," Conan/Haibara said.

"Well, it only takes like 5 minutes anyway, right?" Nancy said.

"So is it true?" Haibara asked. "Did he and my mother really capture Rum?"

"Yeah," Nancy said.

"Well? Do you know who he is?" Haibara asked.

"Uh, no, I don't," Nancy said.

"You're lying," Haibara said. "If you don't know, then did you fly to Hokkaido on a plane earlier today, disguised as Kudo-kun, in order to go meet him?"

Nancy sighed. "Look, he told me not to tell you who it..."

"It's Higo-san, isn't it?" Haibara asked.

Nancy was about to try to lie her way out of this, but she stopped herself. So she said nothing instead.

"I take it that your silence means I'm right," Haibara said.

"H-he wanted to protect you," Nancy said apologetically. "I mean, Higo-san is your..."

"Why are you defending him?" Haibara snapped. "Can't he defend himself, explain his own actions?! And who said that I needed to be protected from the truth anyway?"

She got up from the desk. "I've finished with his homework. Now I'm gonna play one of his video games, while I'm here at his house pretending to be him."

She put the VR headset on and lied down in Conan's bed, her senses and of sight and hearing now being blocked off from the outside world.

She wasn't really in the mood for playing games, but this way Nancy wouldn't be able to see her eyes, and the tears that were beginning to well up in them.

Whenever Haibara and Conan first crossed paths, it was as though both had met the best ally they would ever find in this struggle to survive and adapt. She knew his secret, something that not even his childhood friend Ran Mouri knew, and he knew hers. Though Conan tried to keep her out of harm's way, she still played a major role in his year-long investigation of the Black Organisation, and in his efforts to thwart their attempts to investigate him. She only wished that she could've been more involved than she was; the way she saw it, the more experiences that the two of them shared, the deeper their connection, their bond.

But now, at long last, Ran knew everything, she too was in on the secret...and now, he turned to her, not Haibara, for help in his schemes and his plotting. Haibara wasn't even useful to him as his temporary antidote supplier anymore, as the red and blue pills supplied by Elena made anything she could concoct obsolete.

She knew that now, her last link to Kudo-kun was slipping away, that from this point on it would be Ran who shared his secrets and helped him fight his battles.

Nancy Akechi had finally won the battle that Ran Mouri could not. One day, Nancy and Conan would be able to return to their adult bodies, after the Men in Black were defeated, and then there would be no reason for them to associate themselves with the likes of Mitsuhiko, Ayumi, Genta...or Haibara. That day was fast approaching.

Her time with Kudo was drawing to a close. Their season of friendship was nearly over, and the flower that had blossomed in her heart would wilt and then rot away until nothing save bittersweet memories remained. From the beginning she knew that this was inevitable, but all this time she had held out on the unlikely scenario where he eventually had to give up on Ran, and then she'd be there waiting, ready to comfort him and, eventually, fill the void that Ran once occupied.

Now all bets were off the table. It was starting: Kudo and Ran together, conspiring not to let her know Rum's identity, "for her own good", no less.

For my own good, she mused bitterly. For my own good.

 **Scene Transition**

"Huh? Kudo-kun? What are you doing here?"

"Uh, hi, Inspector Megure," Shinichi said nervously. "You see..."

He told them his fake story.

"I see," Megure said. "Rina had scheduled an appointment with you a month ago to investigate whether her husband had ever cheated on her."

"But that doesn't make any sense!" Yoko said. "She told me that she's separated from her husband and planned on divorcing him!"

"Apparently she wanted to use any evidence of an extramarital affair to boost her standing with the court so that she could get a more generous divorce settlement," Shinichi said.

"So, uh, Yoko-san, what was your business here?" Megure asked.

"I came here to visit Rina-san," Yoko said. "We've known each other since we were in Middle School, but then we dropped out of touch, so I figured out where she lives and decided to drop by for a chat."

"Can anybody vouch for this?" Megure asked.

"Uh, yes, the receptionist on the ground floor saw me and Rina-san," Yoko said.

"Takagi-kun, go downstairs and confirm this," Megure ordered.

" _Wakarimashita_ ," Takagi said and he ran for the door.

Megure turned to Shinichi. "So how've you been, son? You weren't at Ran-kun's funeral, and nobody's seen you since then either."

"I'm, uh, doing alright," Shinichi said. "Just focusing on other stuff so I don't have to think about that."

"Did you really mean all that stuff you wrote in that letter at the funeral?" Megure asked.

"Excuse me," Yoko said. "What do you mean by that?"

Megure turned to Yoko. "Oh, right, you weren't there. Uh, at Ran-kun's funeral, he sent a letter that said..."

"A-ah-anyway!" Shinichi interrupted abruptly, not wanting That Person to hear what he wrote then. "You want to hear Yoko-san's testimony, right?"

Megure shrugged. "Okay. Can you tell me what happened?"

"Uh, I was the first to come here," Yoko said. "I went up here and we talked for a little while. After a while, she noted that I, uh, stank, and I explained that I hadn't taken a shower in several days, since the hot water at my place hasn't worked in the past week, and there are few things that I hate more than taking cold showers."

"So she let you use hers?" Megure deduced.

Yoko nodded. "I told her that I didn't bring any change of clothes with me, to which she said that I could borrow some of hers, as long as I came back in a few days to return it."

"So you took your shower, and when you got out she was already dead?" Megure asked.

Yoko nodded. "She was sitting in that chair over there."

Right next to the washroom was a chair that was taped down with lots of duct tape.

"I'm confused," Megure said.

"It's okay, Inspector," Shinichi said. "I think I know what happened, and I'll be happy to fill you in."

I'm sorry, Inspector, Shinichi thought. That I have to lie to you like this, to help a murderer evade justice. One day my story will be told, and I hope that you'll be able to understand why I did it.

Yoko noticed the strange look on Shinichi's face. Suspecting that he had second doubts, she slowly shook her head sideways as to signal "No".

Having caught on to her signal, Shinichi re-applied his confident professional face. "First of all, I would like to say that Rina-san's life probably was not a happy one. After all, she married men who she didn't love, for the sole purpose of taking their money. Also, if you sift through her old trash, you'll find some bottles of pills. More specifically, anti-depressants."

"Inspector! It's true!" an officer said from a few yards away.

"Another thing is that she hasn't aged all that gracefully," Shinichi said. "She was only in her late 20s, but she looks a quite bit older than that. Yoko-san, on the other hand, is still quite beautiful at 25."

"Uh, thank you," Yoko said. "But what are you...?"

"She was probably jealous of you," Shinichi said. "So there's two factors in play: One, that she probably hated her life. Two, that she was jealous that you were much prettier than her. There could've also been a third thing: Rina-san was a prideful woman, of what I've gathered. She probably wouldn't have wanted anybody knowing that she ended her own life. This means motive is present...motive to commit suicide and frame you for her murder."

Yoko gasped. "No! That can't be true! Not Rina-san!"

"Yes, Rina-san," Shinichi said. "It likely wasn't planned for very long: according to Yoko-san, she was only informed yesterday that Yoko-san was coming to visit. She had a limited amount of time to whip together a plan. So, it was kind of primitive, and not all that terribly well thought out."

"Explain," Megure said.

"Certainly. She needed an excuse for Yoko-san to leave this certain part of the house for an extended period of time. I can only speculate on what she would've come up with if Yoko-san had recently taken a shower, but either way, the shower thing was quite convenient. Whenever Yoko-san locked the bathroom door, Rina-san hurriedly went to grab the chair and the duct tape. She taped down the chair next to the washroom, as you'll note, and that's no coincidence. Inside the washing machine you should find a rope. Well, more specifically, the ripped off cord of a vacuum cleaner, if I'm not mistaken."

"H-hold on!" Megure said. "Was that the murder, uh, I mean, suicide weapon?"

"Yeah," Shinichi said. "She secured one end on the inside of the washing machine. She set it to spin for five minutes or so. She put the other end of the cord around her neck, pushed the Start button, and quickly sat down in the chair. The spin of the washing machine would reel in the cord in, and it'd strangle her. However, if the cord remained around her neck after Yoko-san got out of the shower and discovered the body, then she'd easily be able to tell the police what happened. So to prevent this, Rina-san likely used a knife to insert some cuts into the cord. The part that comprised the noose around her neck, that is; if it snapped at the point in between the washing machine and the noose, then the noose would remain around her neck. And she couldn't have that. As it was reeled back, and as the noose faced resistance from Rina-san's neck, the pressure combined with the cut portions proved too great and it snapped, reeling itself completely into the washing machine. Yoko-san had no reason to suspect this; Rina-san was probably hoping that Yoko-san'd tell the police she must've been strangled by a burglar."

"I take it the cord's still in the washing machine?" Megure asked.

"Indeed it is," Shinichi said.

Megure went inside the washroom and checked it out.

"...I see," Megure said. "Kudo-kun, what you said makes sense, and in the past your deductions have always been spot-on, so this time I'll defer to your judgment whenever you say that it was a suicide. That having been said, I still feel like somehow this case hasn't been resolved. Not really. Come on, boys, let's go! The ambulance will take it from here."

 **Scene Transition**

James Black held the recording device in his hand as he sat in the interrogation room in front of Ryusuke Higo.

"Have I been helpful to you so far?" Ryusuke asked.

"That you have," James Black said.

He listened in on Elena's instructions coming from the earpiece.

"Ah, we have another question for you," he said. "If our intelligence is correct, Yoko-san's goals differ significantly from those of the Council?"

Higo grinned. "Your intelligence people are a lot better than ours, apparently. Yeah, she's got her own plan. I take it you people know about Antichrist?"

"Yes, and about the Altar Organ," James Black answered.

"Good. I shouldn't need a lot of time to explain then. First of all, the difference between Yoko and The Council is largely theological."

"Theological? As in religious?"

"Yes," Higo said. "At the top level, our Organisation is religious in nature. The Council holds to the orthodox doctrines of Hajime Suzuki. Yoko explained it to me like this: the ancient gods descended from Heaven and altered the anatomical structures of a select few humans to form a separate human race which would live among regular people."

"Antichrist."

"That's correct," Ryusuke said. "The will of the gods was for Antichrist to be their living representatives on Earth. They could display their seemingly divine powers to primitive man and provide constant proof of the existence of the gods. Likewise, they would provide stability to human civilisations. After all, since they were regarded as near-divine beings, they'd naturally be put in charge of the existing political systems worldwide, and humans would not rebel against them. And, of course, a wise ruler who was of the Antichrist species could feasibly live for hundreds of years."

"But what little archaeological evidence we have suggests that humans did in fact rebel against them," James Black said. "It's self-evident that they don't exist today, much less rule over the planet."

"Yeah, and the Antichrist were hunted to extinction," Ryusuke said. "I guess regular humans didn't want to have to live in fear that they'd be eaten by these things. Anyways, the Council thinks that was a mistake. They want to revert the world back to a primitive state where Antichrist, as representatives of the gods on Earth, reign supreme once again."

"And hence their plans to launch a cyberattack to seize control of the world's nuclear arsenal."

"That's the backbone of their plan," Ryusuke said. "Of course, they needed to revive Antichrist. Hence the 300 specimens they've recovered so far, and the development of ELXR-0666. But even if they were to nuke the planet, it'd be difficult to ensure that the survivors were subject to Antichrist. Therefore, the Black Organisation has been building an arsenal of advanced weapon systems with which to control the ground after the nuclear apocalypse.

"Is that why they wanted you to steal the tank?" James Black asked.

"Yeah. They were going to fly it to some facility where it'd be reverse-engineered and they'd learn how to build large numbers of T-14 Armata tanks. We really weren't expecting for Kir to betray us like that. But anyways, you wanted to know about Yoko, right?"

James Black nodded.

"Well, first I'd like to say that Yoko's views were shaped by her life experiences," Ryusuke said. "She believes that unequal social structures which elevate some individuals over others are inherently oppressive. And she's made it her life goal to get rid of them. According to her, the real reason that the gods created the Antichrist was to sow discord among humanity. That is, nobody could trust that their neighbour wasn't a secret Antichrist, or that their neighbour wouldn't try to eat them or something. So that'd have the effect of abolishing all human social structures, which in Yoko's mind was preferable to the social structures that exist today."

"So why doesn't she work with the Council, then, since they're trying to revive Antichrist?"

"She thinks they aren't going far enough," Ryusuke said. "She believes that all men should be given the power of the Altar Organ, that all men should become Antichrist."

"B-but that's impossible!" James Black said. "There's only like 300 intact specimens, right? There are billions of people in this world!"

"That's why she wants to create a viral form of it," Ryusuke said. "That is, a virus that'll cause a fully functional Altar Organ to develop inside every person who it infects. One that'd be fully compatible with their existing genetic and anatomical structure, that is. Once this is accomplished, she plans on releasing it upon the world. According to her, all it takes to destroy a society is to confront it with a dilemma which it cannot resolve. This will succeed in destroying all societies around the world, if released on a global scale. If as many as 30% of all people alive possess the Altar Organ within their own bodies, it should be enough to totally break down all existing social ties between men, even that of parent and child, brother and sister. The first step is to find a way to transplant existing Organs revived from the 300 specimens into any living human being, regardless of gender or blood type or other factors. For this reason, she's had me going out and kidnapping people."

"And you agreed to help her?" James Black asked.

He shrugged. "I see many ills in our modern world that cannot be cured without its total destruction. But if we were to go about destroying the modern world, I'd prefer to do it Yoko's way over a nuclear holocaust. And also, we've known each other for a very long time, so...yes, I agreed to help her. There's three conspirators in this plot: me, Yoko, and a third member whose codename is Mezcal."

James Black stood up straight in his seat. "Tell us everything you know about Mezcal."

 **Scene Transition**

Shinichi and Yoko were now standing on the condo roof, leaning against the railing and staring out over the city.

"The Inspector didn't put a lot of work into investigating that, I must say," Yoko said.

"Well, he has faith in me," Shinichi said. "I've solved a lot of cases for the police in the past, so I guess he just assumes that I know what I'm talking about."

"Well, it's a good thing he didn't check around for fingerprints or search the dumpster on the ground below."

"...Why'd you do it?" Shinichi asked. "Was it to test my abilities as a detective?"

"Well, yes and no," Yoko said. "That woman really did deserve to die, for something that she did a long time ago. But you are correct in stating that I wanted to see your deductive reasoning abilities in action."

"And did you like what you saw?" Shinichi asked.

"Oh yes. I was quite pleased. For something that you only had two minutes to cook up, it did quite well in fooling the police. You passed my test with flying colours...which is more than can be said about Rum."

"Huh?"

"Yesterday, Rum demonstrated that he isn't fit to bear that name," Yoko said.

Then she looked straight as Shinichi and grinned. "You are."

 **Scene Transition**

Shinichi Kudo leaned against the tree. He used his phone to check the time.

It was dark outside; there was a pleasant breeze at the park.

He heard footsteps. He stood upright and turned around, to see Ryusuke approaching.

"Did you set it?" Shinichi asked.

"Yeah. The computer virus I've installed should down all the security cameras in this general vicinity for two hours."

There was a silence. The two men simply stood there, staring each other in the eye. The wind continued to blow.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Ryusuke asked.

Several yards away, concealed in a shady spot, Nancy and Haibara looked on at the scene.

"...Is he really going to do it?" Nancy whispered.

"Yes," Haibara said.

"How could your mother order something like this?"

"...I don't know," Haibara replied.

I don't know, she thought sadly.

 **Scene Transition**

 _"And that's what she wants me to do," Shinichi said, leaning against the wall in his own home, a depressed look on his face. "What are your orders, Elena-san?"_

 _"...Let's do it."_

 _"H-hold on! You really want me to take his...?!"_

 _"Remember, Kudo-kun, that we have ELXR-0666," Elena said. "We'll wait a few days, let a funeral be held for him, intercept the body on its way to the crematory as we did with Ran-kun, and then revive him and help him start a new life far away."_

 _"You had better," Shinichi said. "Elena-san, for the most part I've done everything that you've asked of me, but this crosses a line. If you don't revive him, then that makes me a murderer. If I'm a murderer already, then I might as well go ahead and..."_

 _"You're threatening to tell on us unless you can be assured of Higo-kun's revival afterwards?" Elena said._

 _"Yeah. After that allotted time passes, I want to meet him in person. If I find that it's someone else disguised as him, then you might as well get used to the prospect of the White Organisation's existence being open knowledge to Those People."_

 _"You don't have to worry about that, Kudo-kun," Elena said. "As long as we can be assured that he won't be a threat to us afterwards, I see no reason not to revive him. You have my word."_

 _"And what will you do to ensure that he doesn't go crawling back to his superiors?" Shinichi asked._

 _"We'll just tell him that he defected to the FBI and told them everything he knows about the Men in Black, and that The Boss will order him killed if word of his continued existence ever gets out. Considering that he wouldn't be able to remember the past week anyways, that might as well be the truth."_

 _"...Okay. I trust you, Elena-san. Your daughter trusts you. Do not make me into an evil person. Don't make me like you."_

 _Elena was silent._

 _"Goodbye," Shinichi said. Then he hung up._

 _"What did you mean by that?" Conan/Haibara asked._

 _Shinichi sighed. "Haibara, I didn't know you were here."_

 _"But what did you mean?" Conan/Haibara pressed._

 _Shinichi was silent._

 _"Tell me! Whatever it is, I have a right to…."_

 _"She threatened Ran, okay?! She. Threatened. Ran."_

 _Conan/Haibara was taken aback. "No. No, I...can't believe that. I won't. My mother wouldn't."_

 _"But she did. Last night. If I didn't do what she said, she'd have Ran killed. By her logic, she gave life back to Ran, so she can take that life away, I guess."_

 _Conan/Haibara fixed her gaze to the floor, not looking up._

 _"She wants me to murder Rum and take his place," Shinichi said. "She wants me to become Rum. Well, it was Yoko-san's idea, but after I told Elena-san about it she ordered me to do proceed with it."_

 _"...When and where will the killing take place?"_

 _"Beika Park. 9:00 PM. But Haibara, don't follow me, please. I don't want you seeing that, seeing me do that to another human being. And if you end up following me anyway...don't bring Ran with you. I think I might rather die than for her to watch me kill a person."_

 _"Will you at least tell her what it is you're doing tonight?" Conan/Haibara asked._

 _"No. I'll just tell her that The Boss has a mission for me."_

 _"It's too late for that."_

 _Nancy slowly emerged from the corner._

 _"...How much of that did you hear?" Shinichi asked._

 _"Enough. Am I...the reason that you're doing all this?"_

 _Not wanting to answer that question, Shinichi simply ran off._

 **Scene Transition**

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Ryusuke asked.

"Ah, that. Yoko-san has a message for...Hey wait! Who's that over there?!"

Ryusuke turned around suddenly, and Shinichi pulled a silenced handgun out of his pocket. He pointed it at Ryusuke's face.

"W-what the h**l are you doing?!" Ryusuke demanded.

"Like I said, Yoko-san has a message for you," Shinichi said.

"A-and what's that?"

"I'll see you on the other side."

With that, Shinichi fired one shot at point-blank range into Ryusuke's head. He died instantly.

Even a silenced gun wasn't completely silent, and something resembling a gunshot rippled through the air.

"...Boss, were you watching?" Shinichi asked.

"Yes," Yoko responded into his earpiece. "Congratulations, Rum."

"You mean, just like that I'm Rum?"

"Well, not just yet," Yoko said. "Your deductive abilities are astounding, but you know little to nothing about disguises, hand-to-hand combat, or hacking into computer systems. For this reason you'll be trained for a time before you officially become Rum. Until then, you shall remain Cognac."

"Who's gonna be my trainer?"

"Merlot."

T-that name...! Shinichi thought.

"He's a high-ranking member of the Council. You'll recognise him when you see him; he's an old man and a westerner."

"How will I contact him?"

"You won't. He'll contact you. For now, go home, and my people will extract the body."

"I just have one more question," Shinichi said. "What about that tank? Who's going to retrieve it?"

"You need not concern yourself with that," Yoko said. "For that task we've dispatched a new agent to handle that task. She's eager to earn her stripes, and..."

"Wait, she?"

"Her codename is Port."

 **Scene Transition**

She finished putting fuel into the tank.

She got in and started the vehicle.

She drove the tank out of the abandoned mine, leaving the tanker truck behind. She had no further use for it anyway.

After half a minute she got the tank onto the open road. Relief swept over her.

This is gonna be a piece of cake, she thought. After accomplishing what the legendary Rum couldn't, I'm sure to be promoted! Mwahaha, I can't wait!

The airfield was about 90 miles away. It would be a fairly long drive, but she was confident that she wouldn't come across any trouble on the way there. Driving in a vehicle like this, she wouldn't even have to stop at red lights.

Little did she know that as she passed by a police car lying on the side of the road, its occupants were relaying a warning to several JGSDF Type 10 tanks located about half a mile away.

Port kept driving, unaware of the imminent danger, when...

"S**t!" she exclaimed.

She was being stared down by four tanks. An additional two were coming from behind.

They opened fire. Within a few seconds, the T-14 was a smoldering pile of debris.

 **Scene Transition**

It's over, Shinichi thought. Whenever Kir first sent word of a mysterious agent named Rum, we all sought frantically to discover his identity. The question 'Who is Rum?' took on a life of its own. But the question was so difficult to answer because there was no one answer. Rum could be anybody who the Men in Black wanted him to be. And now the question's been resolved: I am Rum.

He grabbed his phone and made a call.

"Finally!" Kaito said. "Do you realise how long I've been waiting?!"

"You can go home now," Shinichi said. "And yes, I will honour our deal. Three months."

"Six."

"Nope. Three."

He heard Kaito growling over the phone. "Fine. Until we meet again, Shinichi Kudo."

"Likewise, Kaito Kuroba."

He hung up and began to walk home.

"...What did you hope to gain by watching this?" Haibara asked.

"I don't know," Nancy admitted. "Now I just want to go home and forget what I saw here."

"The feeling is mutual," Haibara said. "Well, I'll see you at school tomorrow, Ran-chan."

The two of them left the park silently, neither one feeling like saying anything else.

 **Scene Transition**

 _Elena entered the interrogation room._

 _"You can leave now, James-san," Elena said._

 _James nodded and left._

 _Elena sat down._

 _"What's this about?" Ryusuke asked._

 _Elena took a picture out of her coat pocket and laid it down on the table in front of Ryusuke. It was a picture of Rikuo Endo._

 _"The situation has changed," Elena said._

 _"...How so?" Ryusuke asked nervously._

 _"We need to let the Organisation kill you," Elena said._

 _"H-hey! That wasn't part of the deal!" Ryusuke said, standing up._

 _"If you don't comply, I will order Akai-san to kill your brother."_

 _Elena could tell that Ryusuke was downright trembling now. He sat down again._

 _"I don't like this any more than you do," Elena said._ _"But Kudo-kun is more valuable to us at this point than you are. And after killing you, he'll become even more valuable to us. Oh, and I promise that we will revive you afterwards. With ELXR-0666, that is."_

 _Ryusuke was silent. But then..._

 _"When do I die?"_

 _"Tonight."_

 **Ending**

(Monster Without a Name by Egoist, 1st ending to Psycho-Pass)

 _Feariiteiru wa_

 _Sakki shinda mitai_

 _Renga no byoutou de umaku utaenakute_

 _Kiri ni kemuru yoru ukabe akai tsuki_

 _Kuroi tetsu goushi no naka de_

 _Watashi wa umaretekitanda_

 _Akui no daishou wo negae_

 _Nozomu ga mama ni omae ni_

 _Saa ataeyou seigi wo_

 _Kowashite kowasareru mae ni_

 _Inga no daishou wo harai_

 _Tomo ni yukou namae no nai kaibutsu_

 **Post-Ending**

"Where have you two been?!" Kogoro demanded.

"S-sorry, uncle Kogoro," Conan said timidly. "We thought we saw crime taking place outside."

"It turned out to be something else," Nancy finished.

"Well, I hope you two learn that it isn't acceptable to sneak out at night!" Eri said.

"W-we know," Conan said. "Can we go back to bed now?"

Eri sighed. "Okay. We'll talk about this in the morning."

 **Scene Transition**

Finally, the lights are out, he thought. I'll just wait a few minutes for them to settle down and then I'll make my move.

He snuck up to the outside of the Mouri residency. He tiptoed up the stairs.

He inserted the pick into the lock and unlocked the door within a few seconds.

He tiptoed inside. He placed a bug above the kitchen stove. Then he tiptoed away from that part of the house and towards...

"Hey! Who's there?!"

And with Kogoro's angry exclamation, he knew it was time to terminate the mission. He headed for the door, but then Kogoro grabbed him.

By this time Conan, Nancy, and Eri had woken and were watching from a distance.

Eri ran to the kitchen, grabbed a small but sharp knife, and plunged it into the intruder's arm.

The mysterious intruder, not making more than a painful grunt, then proceeded to incapacitate Kogoro and Eri with a martial arts technique.

That technique, is that...? Conan thought.

After Kogoro and Eri were down, the intruder took the knife out of his shoulder and ran out the door, leaving slight traces of blood on the ground.

"Eri! Call 110!" Kogoro said.

Eri nodded and went to grab her phone.

Conan looked at Nancy. Was that intruder supposed to be...your guardian?

 **End of Episode**


End file.
